Wise Sayings By Famous Ancient Greeks

by ayiannblog, posted in ANDREW YIANNAKIS, AUTHOR

Night view of the parthenon in athens, greece. The famous ancient greek parthenon on acropolis hill is the main landmark of the city. Lighting ruins of parthenon at the top of acropolis at dusk.

Blog 1 compiled by Andrew Yiannakis, Ph.D., Research Professor, University of New Mexico

  1. Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) King of Macedon and conqueror of much of the ancient world

“I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by     a lion”

“In the end when it’s over, all that matters is what you’ve done”

“Remember, upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all”

  1. Diogenes (404-323 BC), founder of Cynic Philosophy

“Of what use is a philosopher who doesn’t hurt anybody’s feelings”?

“When I look upon seamen, men of science and philosophers, man is the wisest of all      being; when I look upon priests and prophets nothing is as contemptible as man”

“He has the most who is most content with the least”

” The foundation of every State is the education of its youth”

“I don’t know whether gods exist, but they ought to”

  1. Hypatia of Alexandria (355-415 AD). Greek mathematician, astronomer and philosopher. Died at the hands of the early Christians for refusing to accept Christianity

“Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all”

“Fables should be taught as fables , myths as myths, and miracles as poetic fantasies. To teach superstitions as truths is a most terrible thing. The child mind accepts and believes them, and only through great pain, and perhaps tragedy, can he be relieved of them in later years”

  1. Democritus (460-370 BC), Philosopher and theoretician from Thrace

“The world is a stage and life is a journey. You come, you see, you leave”

  1. Menander (342-292 BC), Greek poet and comedy writer. He is the author of over 100 works

“Honor old age because it carries with it much suffering” (paraphrased)

  1. Pythagoras (580-500 BC), Famous Greek philosopher, geometrician and  mathematician. Established the foundations of astronomy

“Be silent unless you can say something that’s better than silence” (paraphrased)

“Rest satisfied with doing well and leave others to talk of you as they please”

“The oldest,  shortest words – “yes” and “no” – are those requiring the most thought”

“As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will continue to kill each other” (paraphrased)

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